Kuehne+Nagel aims to provide the most up-to-date operational information so you can make more informed decisions for your cargo. Our weekly Port Update summarises events impacting global port operations this past week and what should be considered when planning future shipments.
Operational News
Africa and the Middle East
Egypt
El Iskandariya (Alexandria): Delayrs are due to high yard utilisation at Alexandria Old Port. According to Kuehne+Nagel's seaexplorer, 3 vessels are currently waiting at anchor to call El Iskandariya.
Morocco
Casablanca: Heavy fog is resulting in port closures and vessel delays. Installation of new port equipment could impact waiting times.
Senegal
Dakar: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.38 days. Carriers report an improvement in productivity at the DP World terminal in Dakar. Yard congestion is high, with a large number of empty containers requiring evacuation. The operator plans to reintroduce berthing windows once the situation improves. Three vessels are currently at anchor.
South Africa
Bad weather and equipment availability are causing significant delays at South African ports. Carriers are implementing contingency plans to maintain schedule integrity. Delays to vessels can be up to 22 days in Durban and 7 days in Cape Town.
According to Kuehne+Nagel's seaexplorer, 6 vessels are currently anchored in the waiting area in Durban; however, several ships are waiting outside of this area. Local experts believe this backlog could take over two weeks to clear, extending cargo lead times further.
While recovery plans for the ports have been implemented, a full recovery is expected in February-March next year.
Read our comprehensive article on the status of the ports on Sea News, including our customer advisory.
Tanzania
Dar-es-Salam: The 7-day average vessel waiting time increased further this week to more than 10 days, according to Kuehne+Nagel data. In addition, ships are waiting around 4 days in the port.
Low productivity, a damaged crane, and dredging operations are adding to congestion. Carriers have adjusted their schedules and services to Dar-es-Salam according to the congestion level. Some are opting to service the port using feeders from Mombasa.
According to seaexplorer, 14 container ships are waiting outside the port.
Asia
Adverse weather closed several Chinese ports last week; however, waiting times remain below 2 days for Chinese and Asian main ports.
Europe
Winter weather in Europe impacted port operations in Liverpool, Grangemouth, Aarhus and Rotterdam last week. The impact on vessel waiting times is minimal.
France
Work stoppages occurred on 23 November at Le Havre, Marseille-Fos and Rouen. The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased slightly for Le Havre but is unaffected for the other ports. There is currently one vessel waiting in Le Havre.
North America
No congestion has been reported at North American ports. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is below 1.5 days.
Central and Latin America
Brazil
Santos: The average vessel waiting time has increased in Santos due to bad weather. Ships outside their berthing windows may wait longer to call the port.
Mexico
Veracruz: Bad weather is causing some delays to ports in Mexico. In Veracruz, maintenance works are underway, which is limiting berth availability. This is expected to be completed in the last week of December.
Panama
After a month-long protest, the Panama Supreme Court declared Law 406 unconstitutional, dissolving a contract between a mining company and the government.
The agreement raised environmental concerns with the public, who took to the streets in protests at the end of October. This resulted in roadblocks that have impacted container movements and the availability of truckers. According to a Kuehne+Nagel advisory, gradual improvement in the situation is expected. Read more in our update.
Panama Canal: The rainy season has ended in the region, bringing little to no improvement to the water levels in the canal. Daily transits will remain restricted as planned and could last until May next year.
Container vessels have been given priority, but slot reductions could impact the waiting times. The average waiting time for non-booked vessels is around 4-8 days.
Peru
Callao: Vessel waiting times have increased in Callao due to weather disruptions.
Oceania
Australia
Industrial action at DP World terminals has been extended to 11 December. Work stoppages ranging from 1 hour to 48 hours are also expected during the strike period.
A 48-hour stoppage will start at 6:00 am on 5 December in all ports simultaneously. Carriers are reporting vessel schedule delays and changing port rotations to maintain schedule integrity. Several terminals were closed on Tuesday, 28 November, to allow members of the Maritime Union of Australia to attend an Annual General Meeting.
For more information on the industrial action, read our update on Sea News.
New Zealand
Auckland: Kiwirail will undertake significant rail track work in the Auckland region, affecting the Metroport rail service between Auckland and Tauranga.
The line will likely be closed between 30 December and 4 January (dates to be confirmed). Imports into Auckland may experience delivery delays. Auckland Exports should be planned to arrive before the rail closure. Read more in our Kuehne+Nagel advisory.
Other Port News
Africa
Ghana
Tema: The second phase of the port expansion project was launched, which includes expanding the port area to 127 hectares and adding 15 gantry cranes.
Once completed, the expanded port includes a 1.4km quay with four berths able to accommodate vessels up to 18,000 TEU.
The terminal is operated by Meridian Port Services, a joint venture between Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (30%), APM Terminals (35%) and Africa Global Logistics (35%). The first phase is expected to be ready in July 2024, and the entire project is aimed for completion by September 2025.
Europe
Turkey
Mersin: The East Med Hub 2 expansion project, which aims to increase the terminal capacity by 1 million TEU, was launched by Mersin International Port.
Upon completion, the port would be able to accommodate 3.6 million TEU. In addition, quay expansion is planned to allow the two ultra-large container vessels to berth simultaneously.
Furthermore, eight new automated rail-mounted gantry cranes and four ship-to-shore cranes will be procured. The first phase of EMH2 will be launched by Q1 2025, and the project will be completed by the end of Q1 2026.
